Reaching for the sky

Joseph Biden and Douglas Bader compared

The question for Joe Biden ought not to be “Am I too old to stand?” or “Am I the best candidate for the Democratic party?” It should be “Is my contribution vital to the cause?”

When airman Douglas Bader lost both his legs in an idiotic air crash in the inter-war period, he thought his flying days would be over. Determined, despite losing two legs, to get back into the cockpit, he was told by the Air Ministry that he could try some test flights and they would see. To prove his worth, Bader took an Avro 504 up into the clouds at the Central Flying School. The results were impressive and he was called for interview with the wing commander.

“I’ve just been reading what the Central Flying School says about you. They say you can fly pretty well. Unfortunately, we can’t pass you fit for flying because there’s nothing in King’s Regulations which covers your case.” (From Reach for the Sky – The Story of Douglas Bader by Paul Brickhill).